A 2,000-year-old relief depicting scalpels, bone saws, forceps, and dental tools - the most complete ancient surgical kit ever depicted. Egyptian doctors performed brain surgery, set fractures, and extracted teeth with remarkable precision.
Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0
A Ptolemaic medical chart in stone
On the rear wall of the Temple of Kom Ombo, carved into the stone, is a detailed display of medical tools from the Greco-Roman period. This relief is one of the earliest known depictions of surgical tools. The collection includes scalpels, forceps, shears, a bone saw, probes, specula, and medicine bottles. The images are clear enough to identify each instrument's function, providing direct evidence of the advanced state of Egyptian medicine around 2,000 years ago. These carvings suggest that the temple was a center for healing, where priests also acted as physicians.
The temple itself is an unusual "double" temple, built during the Ptolemaic Dynasty between 180 and 47 BC. It has a perfectly symmetrical design, with one half dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the other to the falcon-headed god Haroeris, or Horus the Elder. The medical relief is located in the section dedicated to Horus, who was associated with healing. The presence of Imhotep, the deified architect and physician, is also noted in the reliefs, showing the site's connection to medical practice.
Surgery on the Nile
The tools depicted at Kom Ombo align with knowledge from ancient medical texts, particularly the Edwin Smith Papyrus. This document, which may be a copy of a text from as early as 3000 BC, is the world's oldest known surgical treatise. It details 48 cases of physical trauma, including fractures, dislocations, and wounds, and describes rational, scientific treatments.
Egyptian surgeons performed a range of procedures. They set fractures using splints and closed wounds with sutures made from flax or with adhesive linen strips. They treated infections with honey, which has known antiseptic properties, and stopped bleeding with raw meat. Skulls from the period have evidence of trepanation—the drilling of holes into the skull—with signs of bone healing that indicate the patients survived the procedure. Minor surgeries, such as draining abscesses and removing small tumors, were also common. While their understanding of anatomy was limited by a religious prohibition on dissecting human bodies, their practical skills were substantial. For pain management, they used analgesics like an extract from the mandrake plant and opium. The actual tools used by these ancient physicians were typically made of bronze.
💡Fun Facts
The Temple of Kom Ombo is a rare "double temple," with perfectly symmetrical halves dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus the Elder.
The Edwin Smith Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian medical text dating to around 1600 BC, describes 48 trauma cases in a systematic way, avoiding magical spells for treatment in all but one case.
Ancient Egyptian surgeons used honey to prevent and cure infections and applied raw meat to stop bleeding.
In addition to the temple, the site at Kom Ombo includes a museum dedicated to crocodiles, containing some of the hundreds of mummified crocodiles discovered nearby.
The temple is open daily. Summer, winter, and Ramadan hours are generally from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. It is recommended to arrive at least one hour before closing.
Admission
For non-Egyptians, the adult ticket price is EGP 450. Payment must be made with a credit or debit card, as the site has a cashless policy. The ticket includes entry to the adjacent Crocodile Museum.
Accessibility
The temple sits on a small hill. The path has a moderate grade with a short flight of steps. The main temple interior is flat. Most Nile cruise boats dock just a short walk from the entrance.
